Kirby Tabbed for RHS Athletic Hall of Fame Induction

VERNON - By his own admission Thomas D. Kirby '83 characterizes his Rockville High School athletic career as one of "continuous improvement."

The facts bear this out.

Kirby, who earned All-CVC honors a total of three times in basketball and baseball as a two-year starter in each sport, has been elected to the RHS Athletic Hall of Fame, it has been announced by committee chair Scott Smith '88.

The Sixth Annual RHS Hall of Fame Social and Induction Ceremonies are scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 16 at the high school. A 1 p.m. social will be followed by the 2 p.m. ceremonies. Tickets are priced at $20 and can be reserved by contacting Scott Smith at smithsc33sbcglobal.net or at 860-604-6618.

Primarily a jayvee player as a freshman and sophomore who "worked hard and hoped only for a varsity opportunity," Kirby waited his turn in both sports, but immediately capitalized after earning starting positions in both sports at the start of his junior year.

As a left-handed hitter and corner infielder in baseball under RHS Hall of Fame coach Art Wheelock, Kirby was voted first-team All-CVC in baseball in each of his starting seasons: at third base with a .420 batting average as a junior in the spring of 1982, and as a .310 hitter with a steady glove at first base on the CVC co-championship team as a senior captain

As a 6-foot-1 inch, 180 pound forward in basketball under head coach Dave Geissler, Kirby led the Rams to second place in the CVC as a senior captain in 1982-83 as the Rams' sole representative to the All-CVC team. That season, he accomplished a remarkable feat by leading RHS in four measurable statistical categories -- scoring (14.5), rebounding (6.0), assists (3.1) and free throw percentage (67.0) - as well as contributing "a lot that you cannot measure," according to Geissler.

With the baseball team coming off its first state finals appearance in 18 years in 1981, Kirby began his fulltime varsity baseball career at third base, batting seventh in the order as a junior in the spring of 1982. Five hits against undefeated Plainville in the ninth game of the season earned him a promotion to the No. 3 position in the order, where he fueled a hard-hitting attack from that spot throughout the rest of his career.

Kirby slammed a two-run home run in the opening game of his junior season and contributed three hits in consecutive games two weeks later. Three more hits and four RBI in the 15th game of the year upped his batting average to nearly .500 and gave him 22 RBI. One game later, he drove in the winning run in a a 9-6 road win over Bloomfield that helped the Rams reach .500 (8-8) for the first time that season. Rockville's 8-4 record that year was good enough for second in the CVC and a wild 12-11 victory over East Catholic clinched a Class "LL" tournament berth with one game remaining in the regular season. In a tournament-opening loss to Penney, Kirby had two of his team's four hits against future Phillies draft pick Damon Dombek.

Kirby countered a slow start with a fast finish in baseball as a senior in 1983, helping the Rams to eight CVC victories in their last nine conference games - including the final six - and a share of the conference championship, at 9-3. Overall, the Rams won 11 and lost eight that year following an 0-3 start, and again qualified for the Class "LL' state tournament, where Kirby had two hits - including an RBI double in the ninth inning in his final career at-bat - in a first-round loss.

An honor roll student and captain in both sports his senior season, Kirby received the Marty Fagan Award for excellence and dedication in baseball and the John Canavari Award for achievement in basketball.

As a senior in baseball, Kirby was chosen to compete for District IV (co-coached by Wheelock) in the 10th Annual CHSCA All-Star Game - which featured the top 18 players in each district. With two hits in that game played at Municipal Stadium (Double A home of the Eastern League's Waterbury Giants) Kirby was named to the Connecticut Select team that later faced the Massachusetts Select team.While Kirby was teammates with a number of RHS Hall of Famers - among them Doug Domian, Chris Green and Steve Emerson - he becomes the first 1983 graduate in either baseball or basketball to gain induction.

Following graduation, Kirby enjoyed a stellar record-setting baseball career as a four-year starting first baseman at Nichols College, where he twice earned All-New England recognition, played in two New England College Baseball all-star games at Fenway Park (doubling in a run with a drive off the Green Monster as a senior) and was selected to the college's athletic Hall of Fame in 1993. Kirby still holds multiple career hitting records at Nichols.

Kirby earned his B.S. Degree in Accounting from Nichols in 1987 and his MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1995 and serves as chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Shepard Group of Companies in South Windsor. Tom and Karen Kirby and their three children reside in Woodstock Valley.

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